Comparing sets of data (lower and upper limit)

Data set:
0.5, 1.5, 2.1, 0.43, 0.35

condition/base number : 1

Result needed:
To select number nearest to 1 ie.= 0.5 by using macro.

Note: Although 1.5 is also near to 1 (also a 0.5 difference), it must choose the smaller number.
(0.5 is smaller as compared to 1.5) 

Random Variables and Probability Distribution

Question 3.32

The proportion of the budgets for a certain type of industrial company that is allocated to environmental and pollution control is coming under scrutiny. A data collection project determines that the distribution of these proportions is given by:

f (y) = 5 (1-y)^4,  0<=y<=1
          0, elsewhere

a) Verify that the above is a valid density
b) What is the probability that a company chosen at random expends less than 10% of its budget on environmental and pollution controls ?
c) What is the probability that a company selected at random spends more than 50% on environmental and pollution control ?

How do I extract selected text from a string of text?

Data in a cell and need to extract part of it :


Examples:
1. AERO 030405A AUTO 24567AZ 99AM  > Extract 67
2. AERO 030405Z AUTO 25611C22AZ 99BM >  Extract 11 

AS400 / DB2 Programming Tutorial Guide

My favourite guides are :

Tutorial for AS400
http://www.texas400.com/tutas400toc.html


Tutorial/book on DB2
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/BOOKS/DSNAPH11/CCONTENTS

Let me know if you have more to share. 
I am still learning -__-

Probability

Question 2.26

A California study concluded that by following 7 simple health rules a man's life can be extended by 11 years n the average and a woman's life by 7 years. These 7 rules are as follows: no smoking, regular exercise, use alcohol moderately, get 7-8 hours of sleep, maintain proper weight, eat breakfast, and do not eat between meals. In how many ways can a person adopt five of these rules to follow
a) If the person presently violates all 7 rules?
b) If the person never drinks and always eats breakfast?

Why are my database files (.dbf) updated but not the cubes (.mdc) ?

Answer: The cubes are not run/downloaded properly.

(assuming you have scripts to run the cubes)
Double check if the date of the cubes is as at current.
Else do the following :
To click and run the script again - manually
How to run manual:
1. Cognos Powerplay Transformer
2. Open "...... .pyi" (Usually the name is the same as the one in .mdc, just that you have to open the corresponding .pyi file)
3. Click on the cube icon to run the cube.
OR 
If you have scheduled a task to run the script automatically (which will run the cubes), then you might also wish to wait for the next update (depending on your scheduler: Control Panel > Scheduled Tasks) and then check if the cubes are now updated.

Problem logging into windows XP (no password-safemode, blue screen persist)

1)
Try to log into the safe mode and do what was explained/advised in :
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070409184255AAuAqLp

However, there is no open box for me to type in the passwords in the windows xp blue welcome screen in safe mode.

So i tried ctrl-alt-del and then a dialog box appears with username and password.
Username : administrator
password : control userpasswords2

But the above password doe snot work.
 
 2)
Tried administrator / (password leave blank) , administrator/administrator, etc all kinds of generic combination, but still doesn't log on.

It still goes back to safe mode with 2 avastar showing - 1 for administrator and 1 for user, without any open white box to type in your password. and when clicked on the administrator avastar, it shows "loading personal settings" ...."saving your settings" and then back to original position. --- (a)

And then, if clicked on the user avastar, it will show "logging off....loading personal settings...saving your settings.." and then back to the original position. ---(b)

Previously, prior to logging into safe mode,  scenario (b) happens.
so I tried to copy userinit.exe file from another PC, rename the file to wsaudaptor.exe and then copy this file into the systems32 folder. however, it doesn't solve the problem either.